Multiple head with regulators



Aug. 24, 1954 J. D. BALDWIN, JR.. ETAL 2,687,018

MULTIPLE HEAD WITH REGULAToRs 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 29, 1952 Allg 24, 1954 J. D. BALDWIN, JR., r-:TAL

MULTIPLE HEAD WITH REGULATORS Filed Feb. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l IN V EN T ORS J'oH/v D. BALDI/WN, JE. a. ANDREW G. JOHNS 0N BY /P/cHEg WA 71s, Dag/Ero MSA/WNY W iA/gz A TTOENEYS Patented Aug. Zl, 1954 i MULTIPLE HEAD WITH REGULATORS .lohn D. Baldwin, Jr., Highland Heights, `and Andrew G. Johnson, Lakewood, Ohio, assignors to The Weatherhead Company,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 29, 1952, serial No. 274,222

2 Claims.

Dispensing heads of "the type referred to proq vide means for filling the tank or container, a relief valve for venting excess pressure in the container, means for ascertaining the liquid level in the container, a high pressure regulator for reducing tank pressure to a relatively low value and a low pressure regulator for delivering gas at a pressure not much greater than atmospheric pressure, as well asa service outlet and a service valve which connects to the service line.

The `principal object of the invention is to render a multiple unit of the type describedvery compact and economical to manufacture. Tanks having heads of this type mounted thereon are often placed in enclosures which limit the `space available for the multiple head, as Well as making the problem of accessibility to the various units acute.

I have found that byincorporating the various lling, measuring and relief valves in the top wall of a hollow body formed for connection to,

the tank, forming a lateral extension of said wall for mounting a high pressure regulator and forming a vertical extension on the lateral extension which carries the low pressure regulator and service outlet, an unusually compact and accessible dispensing unit is produced.

Another object is the formation of the casing or body for such unit that facilitates casting or forging the body as a one-piece structure.

The manner in which these and other objects and advantages may be accomplished will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a dispensing head embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on 3-3 of Fig. l; and,

Fig. 4.l is a section taken on 4-4 of Fig. l.

The dispensing head comprises a unitary hollow body 9, that maybe formed as a casting to provide a gas chamber I in the central portion thereof. A depending nipple II is formed for mounting on a spud attached to the supply tank T in the usual manner. The body 3 includes a substantially flat upper wall I2 that mounts various valves and liittings. For example, a

2 threaded bore I3 is formed in the upper Wall I2 for receiving a ll valve I4.` 'Such fill valves are Well known in this art and a suitable valve may include a body I6 mounted in the bore, a closure plug Il for closing the opening `that receives the lling hose, and check valves I8 and I9 opened upon insertion of the hose. Within the hollow body is formed a liquid chamber 20 isolated from the gas chamber by a Wall 2I having a threaded port for receiving the iill tube 22.

In order to permit release of displaced vapor during filling, another threaded bore 23 is formed in the upper wall I2 of the unit for receiving a ll valve 24, in communication with vapor chamber III. These valves are also known in the art and may include a body 26 having an outlet port closed by a plug 2'I and a check valve 218 opened by the vapor-return hose. Also incorporated with the return valve assembly is an excess flow check valve 29.

In order to vent excess vapor pressure it is customary to provide a relief valve which, in this invention, is also incorporated in the dispensing head. To this end another threaded bore 3I is formed in the upper wall I2 for receiving a relief valve 32 and communicating with vapor chamber I0. The internal details of the relief valve construction form no part of this invention.

The dispensing head is also formed to accommodate a liquid level guage with the usual oatactuated connection. rIo` this end, the bore 33 is formed in upper wall I2 for receiving guage 34, the constructional details of which are known in the art and form no part of this invention.

As seen in Fig. 1, a ll guage 35 `with its depending tube may also be incorporated, suitable connection for this being shown in Patent #2,540,699 issued to Theodore A. St. Clair on February 6, 1951. In order to give a pressure reading, an apertured boss 36 (best seen .in Fig. l) communicates with the vapor chamber I0 and mounts a vapor pressure guage 31.

It is a feature of the invention that both the high and low pressure reducing regulators may be incorporated in the unit as well as the service shut-off valve and service outlet port. without greatly increasing the dimensions of the head. Thus, the upper wall I2 has a lateral extension 38 which includes a vertical boss 39 having a bore therethrough. It is arranged toA accommodate a `high pressure regulator and service valve assembly lll As best seen in Fig. 2, a passage 42 establishes communication between the vapor chamber IU and the bore in the vertical boss 39. A high pressure diaphragm 43 is mounted in the lateral extension 38 and includes a cup 44 that receives a regulator spring 46, the other end of which engages a retainer plate 41 held in place by a ring nut 48 threaded in the extension. The bore in boss 39 has a threaded portion 49 for receiving an insert 5| having a bore 52 therein that may be bounded by a valve seat 53. The insert is also cross-bored as at 54. Valve member 58 is formed for engaging valve seat 53 and is moved away from such seat by a stem 51' controlled by the regulator diaphragm. The valve is biased towards its closed position by a spring 58. When the valve is open, communication is established by means of bore 42 between the vapor chamber I and the balance of the unit. The :regulator spring 46 tends to open the valve and vapor pressure above the diaphragm 43, existing because of the clearance between stem 51 and plug tends to close the valve, thereby providing automatic regulating action.

Fluid under pressure directed to passage @i2 may be prevented from entering the high pressure regulator by the manual shut-off valve which includes a sealing disc 6l of rubber, fiber or plastic that may be brought into engagement with a Valve seat 62 formed on an extension of the plug 5l and spaced from the bore in which it is positioned. The threaded plug that carries sealing disc 6| is sealed in its bore by an O-ring 63 and manipulated by handle 64.

Pressure fluid passed by the high pressure regulator is next conducted to the low pressure regulator assembly 65. This is housed in .a vertical extension 65 extending upwardly from the lateral extension 38 and being laterally co-eX- tensive therewith in a manner best seen in Fig. 1. As seen in Fig. 4, a passage 61 is formed in the lateralextension to conduct uid to a valve seat nipple 68 forming the inlet to the low pressure regulator. This assembly includes a diaphragm 69 mounted by backing plate 'H and retained by a ring nut 12. The plate carries a spring housing 13 mounting the regulating spring 1li arranged to open the valve. The valve is operated bya stem 76 mounted on the diaphragm and a lever 1'! pivoted to the stem and to the body as at i8 and carrying a relatively soft valve disc i9 for engaging the valve seat of nipple 68. Thus, the force of spring 'I4 tends to open the valve against pressure in the chamber exerted against diaphragm 89. At the top of the extension 66 is a service port 8i for receiving the service line 82, seen in Fig. 3. Thus, it can be seen that I have provided a dispensing head Which mounts nine functional units. Nevertheless, the over-all dimensions of the head are relatively small.

It will be noticed that all the valves are accessible from the top, that is, from above the unit and the pressure gauge and the liquid level gauge may be read from the same position.

The lateral extension 38 mounting the high pressure regulator increases the dimensions of the unit laterally but the low pressure regulator is included without substantial increase in external lateral dimensions. the low pressure regulator represents no increase in the vertical dimensions of the device because of the presence of a relatively large relief valve, as Well as the other units mounted on the top of the head. Thus, a compact, readily manufac- The vertical disposition of tured, sturdy and leakproof head are provided, which incorporates all the functions required of the most complete dispensing systems of the class described.

Having completed a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to understand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is not limited by said preferred embodiment but rather is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing head for liqueed petroleum gas comprising a hollow body formed with a gas chamber and having a lower fitting for connecting directly'to a tank, an upper wall, port means for mounting fill and relief valves in said upper wall, said upper wall having lateral extension, a vertical bore in said extension and a transverse passage therein connecting said vertical bore to said gas chamber, a vertical extension Wall extending upwardly from said lateral extension, a horizontal bore in said vertical extension Wall, a second passage intersecting said vertical bore and said horizontal bore, a service outlet in said vertical extension intersecting said horizontal bore, a high pressure regulator in said vertical bore adapted to regulate flow into said vertical bore from said gas chamber, and a lower pressure regulator in said horizontal bore providing means to regulate flow through said second passage into said horizontal bore.

2. A dispensing head for liquefied petroleum gas comprising a hollow body forming a gas chamber and having a loWer tting for connection directly to a tank, a generally at upper wall, port means for mounting ll and relief valves in said upper wall, said upper wall having a lateral extension having a vertical boss, a vertical bore in said extension and boss, a transverse passage in said extension and boss connecting said vertical bore to said gas chamber, a Vertical extension Wall extending upwardly fromsaid lateral extension and being laterally co-extensive with the latter, a horizontal bore in said vertical extension wall, a second passage intersecting said vertical bore and said horizontal bore, a service outlet in the upper portion of said vertical extension intersecting said horizontal bore, a high pressure regulator in said vertical bore providing means to regulate the flow from said gas chamber into said vertical bore, and a low pressure regulator in said horizontal bore adapted to Vregulate flow through said second passage into said horizontal bore.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,956,821 Berch May 1, 1934 2,121,675 White June 21, 1938 2,166,915 Little July 18, 1939 2,225,579 White Dec. 17, 1940 v2,240,846 Hanson May 6, 1941 2,293,356 Parker Aug. 18, 1942 2,307,309 Thomas Jan. 5, 1943 2,478,760 Holicer Aug. 9, 1949 2,506,031 McDermott May'2, 1950 

